"I would really love to interview Meryl Streep," said journalism major Blake Mitchell, whose ambition is to work in film production after he graduates.

Almost on the spur of the moment, Mitchell and fellow journalism student David Torcivia entered a contest to win the chance to join hundreds of other journalists and photographers who shout questions, film and photograph Hollywood stars at the 83rd annual Academy Awards show.

Mitchell and Torcivia made the semifinals in an "Oscars Correspondent Contest" sponsored by mtvU, Viacom's 24-hour TV channel aimed at college students.

If they win, they'll be in Hollywood on Feb. 27 - Oscars night - and Mitchell might at least get a chance to ask Streep a question, while Torcivia films for mtvU.

The two hadn't met before last fall.

When Mitchell learned about the contest, he asked a couple of professors to recommend a good person to be the camera part of the team - and they suggested Torcivia.

To make the finals, they've got to beat out teams from eight other universities - mainly by getting people to vote for the two-minute video they entered in the contest, now posted at the mtvU website, www.mtvu.com.

The three teams that get the most votes by 2 p.m. today will be announced Sunday and get to fly to Los Angeles to make another video, to be interviewed - and just possibly, to be the TV network's Oscars correspondents.

"The Academy Awards are something I study and follow on my own, and getting to do this would be really special for me," Mitchell said.

The UGA senior might also make a few connections that could help him achieve his career aspiration, which is to work in film production.

Mitchell interned last summer with a production company, he said. He got to work a little with Demi Moore and Miley Cyrus, stars of the yet-to-be released movie "LOL," and was a driver for the movie's director, he said.

Mitchell also got to work with TV host Robert Osborne in Osborne's now-canceled annual film festival in Athens, and saw the Cannes Film Festival up close during a UGA study-abroad course.

Torcivia also has movie ambitions. He produced his school's morning closed-circuit news announcement show in elementary school, and was making his own animated short movies by the sixth grade.

Ultimately, the Lawrenceville junior hopes to be a director of photography, which would let him combine two strong currents in his life, science and art.

"I thought forever I was going to be an engineer or scientist, and do film just for fun, but one day I realized I could combine the two," he said.